Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-03-13
no RAEeER HERR

That the Inter Stats Commerce. Law
will have the effect Of raising through
freight rates from ths East 10 tbs
Pacific coast. temporarily al least, con
sidsrabIy Abovs what they have been iD
recent years. nobody doubts. That the
increase In rates will be permanent,
many fear. That marked discEimina-
items in favor Of points on the coast
and against those in the interior must
end, everybody knswA
Without discussing the probable
duration Of the Increase In freight rates
which will follow the operation Of the
Law, IL may be veil TO consider whether
snoh an Increase will be DISASTROUS 10
tbe interests Of Seattle. even II IL should
be psrmineat. A careful review Of the
situation will convince enc that IL will
not. Seattle has nothing 10 fear from
the operation of the Law. Freight rates
may 20 a. high a. the railroads choose
10 make them, and II will occasion no
interruption Of business here. Some
little confusion there may be fer few
weeks. but business will sson adjust it,
self 10 the new order of things, and Sc.
attic will, II anything. be benefited
rather than injured by the change.
Let rs suppOses that freight rates on
the transsontlnsntal lines we're raised
far above the present rates and that
they were maintained there. To many
Pacific coast sities, and especially to
those not located directly on the sea
board. the result would b. disastrous.
To those ~ well situated As Is Seattle,
however, 10 would not be 80. We have
always the ocean At our doors and no
laws, no regulations, no combinations.
can raise ocean freiRhts for any length
Of time above their normal level.
As soon Is railroad freishts become
20 high that the wholesale merchant
Uill End Il 10 his interest TO import his
goods by water, the old procession Of
steam and sailing vessels around Cape
Horn will be resumed. The Seattle
merchant can Afford TO have ell bis
staple goods brought from New York By
this route AZ a rate @noh lees than be
has been paying 10 the railroads. Goods
whish must be received with more dis
patch than is possible by the all water
route, can come By the Pasife Mail
CSmpany's line across the Isihmus OF
Panama, and the lighter goods, the
styles Of which are constantly changing.
can come AGREES the eontiasnt BY rail as
al present.
Business would sosu adapt itaslf TO
this change. The consequence would
be numerous aud not BY aay means az
satisfactory. Seattle wholesale houses
would unquessionAhly be benefited by
the shanss. for "a venld turn TO them
. valuable trade Which has for some
time been going 20 Chicago and New
York. Az . result the Wholesale houses
here. IS throughout the Pacific Coast.
woali become larger And stronger. and
business would oenter more largely than
ever In the coast cities.
Another probable effect would be the
fostering aud building up Of manufae-
turing industries on the Pacific Coast
HiRh frsiRhts would be 30 our nanafas-
turers in she nature Of . protective
taFia. Oar raw material would be man
afac,ured and prepNrsd for U.s. In cor
own civ, and mAsy articles OF Eastern
maaafacture woald be driven oat q
oompstisioA With the home productions.
ThiN Of course, uspld net be isiuriaos
10 the bnsiness Of Seattle. or. in fact, 10
that Of any CITY which ts situated on the
edSe Of the sea and has the whole world
- depot for its raw material
SEATTLE has nothing 10 fear from ths
operation % tie laU. whatever may be
lite effects elsewhere, it cannot be in.
iurioas 10 this city. There is no danger
here.
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No C0aar nEFESaEa